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Has the pub lost it's way

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Comments

  • #32
    Mr.Nice Guy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 45,643 ✭✭✭✭Mr.Nice Guy


    DaveMcG wrote: »
    You don't have to get p*ssed in the pub. Used to be taken to the pub with my parents most weekends to watch the football and have a bit of dinner. Nowt wrong with it.

    Nothing wrong if you're out to have a meal I agree but if you're simply out to drink then I don't believe it's an environment suitable for children.


  • #33
    sickpuppy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 955 ✭✭✭sickpuppy


    The price of drink is ridiculous,
    was in the half way house yesterday for lunch had a pint of cider with it 5.80ffs.People give out about the price of petrol for 5.80 you could drive 4 people ina small car 60 or 70 miles or have a pint of flavoured water.
    The cost has killed the pub and poxy sky sports any pub with more than 3 or 4 televisons with hordes of scangers roaring at celtic or some other drivel on the screen should be avoided.


  • #34
    Statso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 328 ✭✭Statso


    My pub still has a pool table, darts board, a jukebox and every monday lunchtime we provide free food to our customers. So not all pubs have gone that way. Just most, though i agree with you that more pubs should have pool tables or dart boards to provide extra entertainment.


  • #35
    Degsy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,397 ✭✭✭✭Degsy


    sickpuppy wrote: »
    The price of drink is ridiculous,
    was in the half way house yesterday for lunch had a pint of cider with it 5.80ffs.People give out about the price of petrol for 5.80 you could drive 4 people ina small car 60 or 70 miles or have a pint of flavoured water.
    The cost has killed the pub and poxy sky sports any pub with more than 3 or 4 televisons with hordes of scangers roaring at celtic or some other drivel on the screen should be avoided.


    I hope you didnt pay it?You should've walked out.
    I wonder what would happen is shops were to start charging 6 quid for a loaf of bread,they'd probably be shut down.


  • #36
    Fighting Irish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,062 ✭✭✭Fighting Irish


    Lets bash the pub owners for wanting to make money


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  • #37
    muppetkiller
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,200 ✭✭✭muppetkiller


    The other point about pool tables is they tend to attract the scum element in urban areas. This leads to drunkin fights and generally blacklists the pub. Can't see why they don't have dartboards though.
    I used to love when they had packs of cards too , but that was in the days when scumbags wouldn't steal them..


  • #38
    meglome
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,978 ✭✭✭meglome


    Fighting Irish wrote: »
    Lets bash the pub owners for wanting to make money

    I'm a capitalist myself so that's not what I was saying. In every open marketplace there should be choice. Prices should potentially vary quite a bit. But in any half decent pub in Dublin City centre the prices were just high. And on top of that quite a lot of them raised the prices even higher after 11:30. I was downstairs in Thomas Reads a few weeks back and a large bottle of Bulmers was €6.40 or something. Didn't notice until the next day but haven't been back since.


  • #39
    Degsy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,397 ✭✭✭✭Degsy


    Fighting Irish wrote: »
    Lets bash the pub owners for wanting to make money

    They DO make money,lots and lots of it.They just seem to think they're not making enough so they are charging ridiculous prices out of greed.Anybody know a poor publican?


  • #40
    sickpuppy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 955 ✭✭✭sickpuppy


    Re degsy i did pay it i had the dinner in front of me and was starving iknow its pointless to complain and then do nothing about it.
    But for me im finished with drinking in the pub theres just no value in it.
    The dinner cost 10euro aplate of nice bacon and veg at least theres some value in it.


  • #41
    eirebhoy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,013 ✭✭✭✭eirebhoy


    My local has 2 pool tables, a jukebox, weekly poker tournaments, beer garden, quiet area, function room and a decent crowd of people. It's only a small enough pub too.


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  • #42
    Trojan911
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,194 ✭✭✭Trojan911


    This publican is not doing much. He's chucking punters out who bring in trade.... He must be loaded or is it greedy?


  • #43
    mise_me_fein
    Closed Accounts Posts: 668 ✭✭✭mise_me_fein


    DO0GLE wrote: »
    All depends on the pub you go to....not all pubs are the same

    Agree with this. There's plenty of good quite pubs where you can have the craic without ANY music.

    Think this topic should be Has the "Dublin, or at least big town" pub lost it's way


  • #44
    dotsman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,636 ✭✭✭dotsman


    To be fair to "publicans", you have to distinguish between the different types of "publicans".

    The publican suffering the most tends to be the family-run pub in the country. They have a limited trade potential and with massive increases in stock/tax/overheads over the past few years, hit with a smoking ban and increasing action against drink drivers, topped off with more and more people (30/40 somethings) preferring "dinner parties" or a night in with a bottle of wine and a dvd to a night down their local, there's very little they can do to reverse the problem.

    Then there's the business type publicans. Usually a few men with large financial backing. They buy a city centre bar, fit it out with stainless steel and zero atmosphere, pump out blaring music and charge ridiculous money for their drinks. The success/failure of these pubs will have very little to do with whether it's a good pub or not (because they're all sh!t!), but whether it becomes an "in" place or not. The amount of horrible post-modern holes that will have queues of people outside is ridiculous. (They can increase the chance of it becoming an in place by having some "celebrities" - i.e. some orange tart who once scored with a guy who's friend plays on the Irish Rugby team;), being seen there).

    The fact of the matter is that there's a vicious circle to the pub trade. Because of the increased expense of drink (and difficulty of getting to the pub in rural areas), less people are going for a social drink and instead opting for getting hammered (I hate the term "binge-drinking") on a weekend night instead. Therefore the pubs that make the money are the "MacDonald" pubs that can process the sheep and not the ones that provide a nice relaxing atmosphere. Thus, more and more pubs are trying to compete for the Saturday night mob (by being refitted with stainless steel and baring music). Thus making it even less desirable to go for a few scoops on a Wednesday evening.

    Another factor is the price of the actual pub. Given that pubs are typically in prime locations in the city/town/village, the value of the pub has risen dramatically over the past few years. Suddenly the original owner is given the option to sell their pub for ridiculous money or continue slaving away making a nice (but not amazing) living. Many traditional publicans did sell out over the past 5/10 years. And who bought them out? Yes, the "business publicans" who now have to find a way to make a return on their investment. Cue refitting with stainless steel, blaring music, **** atmosphere - but a good chance of being jammers on a saturday night! And if that doesn't work, sell it and the next business will try again and this time may get lucky and become an "in" spot. (Ever notice it tends to be the same pubs that are always changing hands every few years).

    Personally, I blame women. Women (well, most of them) have sh!t taste in pubs, preferring to go where it's cool to be seen as opposed to going to a nice relaxed "regular" pub. As women tend to dictate where a bunch of (mixed) friends go, guys will end up going to said sh!t soulless pubs. Women also buy the more expensive drinks (or have them bought for them:p), and tend not to have a desire for a few socials down the local on a weekday.


  • #45
    mise_me_fein
    Closed Accounts Posts: 668 ✭✭✭mise_me_fein


    dotsman wrote: »
    Personally, I blame women. Women (well, most of them) have sh!t taste in pubs, preferring to go where it's cool to be seen as opposed to going to a nice relaxed "regular" pub. As women tend to dictate where a bunch of (mixed) friends go, guys will end up going to said sh!t soulless pubs. Women also buy the more expensive drinks (or have them bought for them:p), and tend not to have a desire for a few socials down the local on a weekday.

    You hit the nail on the head there. I never thought about this. Women don't want to go to pubs at all when they get older, only to show their face catch up on gossip.


  • #46
    biko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 81,060 ✭✭✭✭biko


    If the pubs/clubs can attract women they know men will follow. Simple as.
    Drunk fellas will go wherever there's a chance of scoring.

    Hence ****e music - cause girls likes to dance. All we lads want to do is talk about stuff/ sports and down pints.

    Ergo, you get the pub-club with loud dancy music.


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